Last Thursday the annual Creative Escape Scrapbook Event began and was being held at the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona. About 45 minutes south of our homes. .
This resort is first class and such a fun place to stay & the service is top notch. I had arrived on Weds. to have an extra day of pampering and relaxing and then all the girls arrived Thursday morning, to begin our non stop weekend. 
My daughter in law Karen and I were the group leaders of the most awesome group of ladies ever. They were creative, happy, inspiring, self starters.. We had NO whining, or grumpiness in this group.just fun gals with lots of energy. We had so much fun with them.
As a volunteer, you can choose to be with a specific teacher for the 8 classes
or with the same group that moves together to each class.
I love being with a group and getting to know them and becoming friends with 50 new people.
We had many of the gals we have had in our groups in the past back in our group again, so it was fun to see old friends and make so many new ones.
Each evening we have a sit down dinner and speakers to inspire us and touch our hearts to the importance of documenting our lives through scrapbooking. The first evening we heard from Heidi Swapp and what an amazing speaker she is. I could listen to her for hours, oh wait I have listened to her for hours and been inspired and touched by her and her dedication to the art of scrapbooking & preserving family histories Her desire to journal the lives of her family and her past. The second evening we were honored to hear from Melanie Wellman, motivational speaker. Her sister was diagnosed with Lymphoma 2 years ago and she talked about the struggles as a family and the great spirit her sister had throughout he entire ordeal.. She is cancer free now. She touched our hearts and helped us to reflect on our lives and remember those moments that change our lives..she said " "We can do the hard things, we can change our lives, we can change our course. Live your life with your arms wide open, today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten"..
We were all so inspired!!!!
Each year at Creative Escape we raise money for worthwhile charities and for the last 2 years we have raised money for Cancer Research. Last year they had an auction for the shirt of teacher & artist "Tim Holtz", it sold for $7,000. We were all so amazed and awed by the generosity of those who bid on this shirt.
This year we had the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for two things, an all expense paid Scrapbook Cruise & and this year each of the current teachers and the teachers of the past created a lamp to be raffled off. Ten of the lamps were in the raffle and we raised $7,000 in the sale of raffle tickets for Cancer Research. The last two lamps, one created by Heidi Swapp and the other by Tim Holtz were to be auctioned off at the closing night dinner. Heidi's lamp was the first on the auction block, we were all on our feet & in awe of the gals who were bidding against each other for this lamp. It sold for $16,000
Tim's lamp was next. The bidding started out at $500 and quickly jumped to $5,000 and kept going, and going and going, we were all in tears and so was Tim as we watched the fervor of the 3 gals bidding for this treasure.. You will never believe what this lamp sold for ....$29,000
So we were able to raise $52,000 for Cancer Research . . . .
This is the dessert the last night(so sad I couldn't eat it, it was ice cream).. so I had a fruit plate, but I wanted to share the neat picture with you.. each person had one of the the small purses on their plate. One of them held a special bracelet, the person who got the bracelet had their way paid to Creative Escape for 2010.. Air fare, hotel and registration..
This is our group.. we have all volunteered for several years at this great event and have so much fun.. It is me, my daughter Kristan, my daughter-in-laws Karen & Jamie and friends Janna, Carol & Connie. We all look quite bright eyed, even though we were SOOOOOO tired.
So it is all over for another year:
My daughter in law Karen and I were the group leaders of the most awesome group of ladies ever. They were creative, happy, inspiring, self starters.. We had NO whining, or grumpiness in this group.just fun gals with lots of energy. We had so much fun with them.As a volunteer, you can choose to be with a specific teacher for the 8 classes
or with the same group that moves together to each class.
I love being with a group and getting to know them and becoming friends with 50 new people.
We had many of the gals we have had in our groups in the past back in our group again, so it was fun to see old friends and make so many new ones.
Each evening we have a sit down dinner and speakers to inspire us and touch our hearts to the importance of documenting our lives through scrapbooking. The first evening we heard from Heidi Swapp and what an amazing speaker she is. I could listen to her for hours, oh wait I have listened to her for hours and been inspired and touched by her and her dedication to the art of scrapbooking & preserving family histories Her desire to journal the lives of her family and her past. The second evening we were honored to hear from Melanie Wellman, motivational speaker. Her sister was diagnosed with Lymphoma 2 years ago and she talked about the struggles as a family and the great spirit her sister had throughout he entire ordeal.. She is cancer free now. She touched our hearts and helped us to reflect on our lives and remember those moments that change our lives..she said " "We can do the hard things, we can change our lives, we can change our course. Live your life with your arms wide open, today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten"..
We were all so inspired!!!!
Each year at Creative Escape we raise money for worthwhile charities and for the last 2 years we have raised money for Cancer Research. Last year they had an auction for the shirt of teacher & artist "Tim Holtz", it sold for $7,000. We were all so amazed and awed by the generosity of those who bid on this shirt.
This year we had the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for two things, an all expense paid Scrapbook Cruise & and this year each of the current teachers and the teachers of the past created a lamp to be raffled off. Ten of the lamps were in the raffle and we raised $7,000 in the sale of raffle tickets for Cancer Research. The last two lamps, one created by Heidi Swapp and the other by Tim Holtz were to be auctioned off at the closing night dinner. Heidi's lamp was the first on the auction block, we were all on our feet & in awe of the gals who were bidding against each other for this lamp. It sold for $16,000
Tim's lamp was next. The bidding started out at $500 and quickly jumped to $5,000 and kept going, and going and going, we were all in tears and so was Tim as we watched the fervor of the 3 gals bidding for this treasure.. You will never believe what this lamp sold for ....$29,000
So we were able to raise $52,000 for Cancer Research . . . .
This is the dessert the last night(so sad I couldn't eat it, it was ice cream).. so I had a fruit plate, but I wanted to share the neat picture with you.. each person had one of the the small purses on their plate. One of them held a special bracelet, the person who got the bracelet had their way paid to Creative Escape for 2010.. Air fare, hotel and registration..This is our group.. we have all volunteered for several years at this great event and have so much fun.. It is me, my daughter Kristan, my daughter-in-laws Karen & Jamie and friends Janna, Carol & Connie. We all look quite bright eyed, even though we were SOOOOOO tired.So it is all over for another year: My feet felt like they might fall off at the ankles:
Had major charlie horses in my right leg Saturday night in bed
I slept most of Sunday
But I will be ready & anxious to do it all again the last week in August 2010..
Then on Saturday it would have been my 45th wedding anniversary along with it being the birthday of my oldest son Steve..He was born on our 2nd wedding anniversary..Great anniversary gift " a new baby boy".. He is such a joy in my life and so much fun. He is very involved with the young men's group at church, and very involved with his own family. He is the dad to 3 great kids and a wonderful father & husband. I love that he calls me while he is driving home from work a couple times a week "just to check in".. he says. He is very talented in writing and in graphic design and marketing.. 
Went to see "The Time Travelers Wife" this week with Connie and really loved it.. There were a couple of times that I have questions about, but I must remember that it is fiction and if I could accept most of the movie, I should be able to accept all of it.. 
